Jacks win opener, lead in Game 2

MACOMB, Ill. – South Dakota State right-hander Layne Somsen limited Western Illinois to one run on two hits over six innings, leading the Jackrabbit baseball team to a 4-1 victory in the opening game of a doubleheader Saturday afternoon at Alfred Boyer Stadium.

SDSU was leading 5-0 going into the bottom of the seventh inning of the nightcap, when play was suspended due to weather. The two teams are scheduled to resume the suspended game at 11 a.m. Sunday, before completing the four-game series with another doubleheader.

The Jackrabbits, who improved to 23-14 overall and 8-5 in The Summit League with their Game 1 victory, took a 1-0 lead in the second inning of the opener as Paul Jacobson reached on a leadoff single, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Daniel Marra and later scored on Reid Clary’s two-out single to left.

Scott Splett made it 2-0 Jackrabbits with a solo home run with one out in the third inning, and SDSU added another run later in the frame on a bases-loaded walk to Andrew Melton.

Western Illinois, 13-27 overall and 4-9 in league play, scored its lone run of the game without a hit in the home half of the sixth. Zach Burling was hit by a pitch, stole both second and third and scored on a sacrifice fly by Jameson Henning.

Somsen struck out four and walked two en route to his third victory of the season. He has posted a quality start of three runs or less and at least six innings pitched in all nine starts this season.

J.D. Moore fanned two batters in a scoreless seventh inning to notch his ninth save of the season.

Jacobson and Splett each notched two of SDSU’s eight hits.

In Game 2, Jackrabbit starter Stephen Bougher also limited Western Illinois to two hits through six innings before rain halted play in the middle of the seventh. Bougher, who tied current Minnesota Twins prospect Caleb Thielbar with his 44th career start, struck out four without a walk.

SDSU wasted little time getting on the board as Eric Danforth and Splett opened the game with back-to-back singles and Al Robbins plated the first run with a sacrifice fly.

The Jackrabbits scored twice in the fourth without a hit, taking advantage of two walks, two hit batters and a groundout. SDSU made it 5-0 with respective run-scoring doubles by Aaron Machbitz and Nick Andrews in the fifth and seventh innings.